Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arrest Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arrest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,995 in Arrest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,036 in Arrest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,077 in Arrest.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 15% more expensive than in Arrest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Arrest 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$17.66 €15.45

-8.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$71.3 €62.4

-11.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$13.81 €12.08

-25.27%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.57 €4.00

-38.07%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$3.98 €3.48

-42.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$3.32 €2.91

-52.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$8.20 €7.18

-58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$8.04 €7.03

-49.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.57 €1.37

-30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.03 €1.78

-13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.88 €2.52

-38.89%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$5.00 €4.38

-36.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$25.91 €22.67

-49.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$14.08 €12.32

-43.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$19.82 €17.34

-21.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.55 €3.11

-33.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.39 €2.09

-28.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.53 €3.09

-43.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.87 €3.39

-37.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.73 €2.39

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.11 €2.72

-34.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.89 €1.66

1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.87 €0.76

-2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$15.02 €13.14

-56.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.99 €7.87

-37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.73 €2.39

-51.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$4.06 €3.55

-26.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.00 €1.75

14.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$48.37 €42.32

-5.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.51 €3.95

-6.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.07 €1.81

-60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$56.6 €49.51

-67.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.16 €1.89

-3.70%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.7K €30.3K

$35.1K €30.7K

-1.13%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.2K €34.3K

$36.9K €32.3K

6.10%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €130

$248 €217

-40.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.46 €17.90

$16.95 €14.83

20.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$35.70 €31.23

10.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$37.45 €32.76

28.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$18.45 €16.14

0.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$15.72 €13.75

-41.35%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$616 €539

$885 €774

-30.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,717 €7,626

88.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$114 €99.4

-9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$47.03 €41.15

-11.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$121 €106

-21.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$157 €138

-22.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$775 €678

110.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$620 €542

98.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,411 €1,235

119.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,100 €963

84.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$3,747 €3,278

109.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,762 €2,417

58.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.55

7.32%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Arrest: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $775 in Arrest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $71.0 in Arrest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $413 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Arrest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arrest is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $2,993 in Arrest to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $775 in Arrest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $885 in Arrest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 54% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,995 in Arrest versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Arrest but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Arrest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Arrest is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Arrest are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Arrest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.